The old Kiki space in College Hill will soon be home to a new wine bar and restaurant.
A Bar Called Pup will offer a carefully curated wine list from wine and beverage professional Katie Reeder and a full food menu from chef Justin Koontz.
Reeder formerly served as a wine director at Oakley Wines and as a cheese monger at The Rhined, in Over-the-Rhine. Koontz served a sous chef at New Orleans' Jewel of the South, which won the 2024 James Beard Award for Best Bar. He also spent several years working as a line cook at chef Donald Link's Michelin-starred Cajun restaurant Cochon.
"Koontz brings a culinary style rooted in bold, seasonal flavors and thoughtful use of ingredients, with a particular focus on minimizing waste without sacrificing creativity
or quality," read a press release provided to The Enquirer.
"Food should make people want to gather around the table," Koontz said in the release. "We’re interested in taking great ingredients, treating them with respect, and creating food that is exciting without making it feel complicated. Pup gives us the opportunity to have fun with that."
Reeder wants the new bar to feel approachable, "but never ordinary," she said in the same press release. “Wine and food have an incredible ability to bring people together. Pup is about creating those moments in a space that feels welcoming, creative, and authentic.”
Kiki, a James Beard-nominated izakaya-style pub, left the College Hill space in early 2025, later relocating to the former Habanero spot in Clifton's Gaslight District.
The official opening date and hours have yet to be announced, but you can follow A Bar Called Pup on Instagram for updates.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Former Kiki space to become wine bar/restaurant from 2 industry pros
